


A Credit to the House of Slytherin

by Diary



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Aunt-Niece Relationship, Bechdel Test Pass, Changing Tenses, Confrontations, Conversations, Flashbacks, Gen, Good Slytherins, Love, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Post-Canon, Post-Deathly Hallows
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-21
Updated: 2016-02-21
Packaged: 2018-05-22 11:31:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6077700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diary/pseuds/Diary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reposted. Minerva is confronted about her actions during the final battle. Complete.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Credit to the House of Slytherin

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Harry Potter.

When Daniela finally opens the door, her niece, a gangly, black girl with cornrows and, due to a glamour potion, soft, yellow eyes gives Minerva McGonagall a tentative smile.

“So help me, Minerva, if you step one foot into my house, I will Crucio you,” Daniela Sloper warns. “Queenie, move away.”

Queenie obeys.

“Well, say what you have to say and leave, Minerva.”

Sighing, Minerva says, “Daniela, please. Hard choices had to-”

“You taught me better than that!”

Queenie flinches, and Daniela reaches down with her free hand to take her hand. “I’m sorry for yelling, angel, but I want you to stay and hear this. A long time ago, this professor standing in our doorway was a great woman. She took on the Cruciatus curse to shield all sorts of people, witches and wizards, goblins, and centaurs, even some trolls.”

“Really,” Queenie says with wide eyes.

“Oh, yes,” Daniela says. “She was a great witch. She taught me to never judge people by blood. But that person is gone, now.”

“Daniela-”

“You put my niece in the dungeons. She could have killed, being trapped there. Those Slytherins loyal to Him, they could have hurt her. Have you even ever talked to Queenie since the hat yelled out, ‘Slytherin!’, Minerva? Do you know that she loves The Quibbler and hopes to one day write for it? I don’t understand most of the things she writes, and anyways, I’ve very rarely allowed to read them, but I’ve had others tell me how good a writer she’s becoming. Do you know who her favourite band is?”

“My brother died for the cause,” she almost hisses. “Perhaps you remember holding this little girl at the funeral when I was too busy curled up on the ground to notice anyone or anything? His wife can’t recognise their own child. Perhaps you remember that day when you promised her that you would protect her daughter, no matter what? Queenie has had her share of teenage rebellion, but she was never loyal to the Dark Lord. You implying so with your actions isn’t even an insult towards me but towards her, the child who still carries a picture of her parents everywhere, who still colours with her mother every Saturday, who cries whenever we visit Daniel’s grave.”

“Auntie-”

“Let me finish,” Daniela says. Taking a deep breath, she declares, “I am proud of my niece, Minerva. I’m proud she was put in Slytherin, I’m proud she has goals and is determined to see them through, and I’m proud of her compassionate heart. She won’t be going back this year, Minerva. As long as you are at Hogwarts, my teenage niece will never set foot there, again. I thought I could trust you to protect and guide all the students. I thought you, of all people, wouldn’t discriminate against Houses. I don’t give a damn what you did to Parkinson and the others who advocated handing Harry Potter over, but my niece, those little first and second years, and all the other children, you had no absolutely right. They were children, Minerva, and just like those in our house and the other two, they needed you, and you deliberately made the choice to-”

“I did what I thought was best for-”

“You taught me better than that,” Daniela repeats. “Leave, Minerva. I’ve applied for Beauxbatons; it might be difficult for her to learn French, but at least, I can be assured my niece won’t be locked in a dungeon when a Dark wizard or witch is just outside.”

When Minerva starts to reply, Queenie speaks up. “Headmistress, please, leave like Auntie wants. I don’t really care about the dungeon thing, but Megan Jones is always bullying me, and whenever I tried to tell any of the professors, I got in trouble.”

“What,” Daniela roars. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Shrugging, Queenie answers, “Because then, everyone would tease me for being baby, and some of my housemates would have been mad at me for making Slytherin look weak.”

“Professor Snape-” Minerva starts

“Headmistress, Malfoy was the only one who wasn’t afraid of him. He didn’t like any of us anymore than he liked the other houses; he just sort of tolerated us more. We had to go to other professors. And sometimes, they believed us, and sometimes, they didn’t.”

“Goodbye, Minerva,” Daniela says with a twitch of her wand. The door shuts. To Queenie, she inquires, “Megan Jones is still alive, I presume?”

“Auntie, that’s a horrible thing to say,” Queenie exclaims. “Yes, she’s still alive. She lost an eye, but luckily, the healers put it back. Auntie, don’t do anything!”

Sighing, Daniela sits down. “Angel, I know you don’t understand this right now, but I’m telling you: It was wrong for you to be put in the dungeons. I don’t care that you weren’t hurt. I don’t care that you came out alive.” Seeing Queenie is about to respond, she quickly says, “You know what I mean. Obviously, I’m relieved you weren’t hurt. But whether you were hurt or not, that doesn’t make what she did any less wrong.”

“No one else seems to think so,” Queenie quietly tells her. “They all clapped and cheered. I thought some of us had friends outside of Slytherin. We’re not all like Malfoy and Parkinson, Auntie.”

“You don’t have to tell me that,” she assures her. “And kids can be stupid, honey. It’s just a fact. But what the professors did was wrong.”

“Well,” Queenie says with a look towards the door, “you always tell me that it’s okay to make mistakes, as long as you acknowledge them and try not to repeat them. Maybe-”

“Locking defenseless children in a dungeon while there’s a battle raging isn’t a mistake, Queenie. Not in her case, at least. She’s always had a core of iron, but until now, I never thought it would extend to the well-being of her students.”

Finally, the knocking stops.

0

In the dungeons, Urquhart handed Queenie a deluxe Wealsey Wheezes kit. “Here. We’re counting on you and the others to protect the first and second years, okay?”

Queenie nodded and looked uncomfortably at the younger children.

“It’ll be okay,” he promised.

“I want to fight,” she insisted.

“Too bad,” Urquhart answered.

The door was finally blasted open.

“You need to stay here. Miles is keeping Parkinson and them restrained. Just try your best to keep them safe. If you can’t keep them, don’t go after them. Stay and try to protect the ones who stay.”

A first year came over. “My mummy and daddy,” he whispered. “They’re not magic.”

“Don’t worry,” Queenie said. “You-Know-Who is too busy to go after muggles right now.”

Urquhart pushed the boy down next to Queenie. “Your name is John Kyle, right?”

At John’s nod, Urquhart said, “This is Queenie. She’s going to be a reporter one day. Would you like to be interviewed, John? When this is over, your parents are going to want a copy of how brave you and the others were.”

Looking at Queenie with awe, John nevertheless pointed out, “We’re not doing anything.”

“Yes, you are,” Urquhart said. “You’re going to make sure that everyone knows that Slytherins also helped bring the Dark Lord down. That we have muggles and half-bloods that we love, too.” Raising his voice, he called out, “Queenie’s doing interviews. They’ll be sent to parents and other family members once this is over.”

Suddenly, many of the first and second years clamored to Queenie along with some of the older students.

Handing Queenie his copy of Hogwarts, A History and a self-inking quill, Urquhart said, “Here. Just write. Circle words in the book if you need to.”

He quickly ran towards the opening.

“Okay,” Queenie said in a shaky voice. “John’s first. Everyone else get in order by surname, and don’t interrupt!”

Quickly wiping her tears, she said, “Now, your name is John Kyle? Do you have a middle name?”

0

In Azkaban, a package is inspected.

“It’s clear.”

The package is delivered to Roberta Urquhart’s cell.

She opens it and reads:

_Mrs Urquhart,_

_I know Robert was the black sheep of your family, but if you’re interested, here’s an article of his achievements throughout Hogwarts and in the Final Battle. He didn’t fight for your side, but he was unflinching in his bravery. He was a credit to the House of Slytherin._

Lowering her head and thinking of her second born son, Roberta cries.


End file.
